The iconic "spaghetti western" from which I borrowed the title of this missive, brought me an idea that I want to share with my recruiting and staffing colleagues. If you are still scratching your head about my epiphany, let me put this statement out there as well, " There is no longer a one size fits all development program for most of today's recruiters." So what is so Good, Bad and Unknown?

For decades many well conceived and practiced training programs have been presented. This recruiter has been in most and presented some as well. These programs often present the participants with a "nugget or two" a participant could apply. Although many industry trainers do a very sincere job of teaching their best practices, today's very unique realities leave most participants with unanswered questions and unaddressed obstacles to success.

For many experienced recruiters, the situation is often described by my article's title as follows:The Good:

The slowly moving economy, in years past, a condition that hurt many recruiters is not keeping employers from seeking crucially talented people. This demand for professional talent is packed with advantages for recruiters.

The employers, both mine and those of nearly every veteran recruiter with whom I speak, are failing to find critically needed people by doing their best efforts with the technology, tools and techniques they once trusted.

Even more challenging for employers is dealing with critical openings that are often taking six or more moths to fill.

The answer, in nearly every case, lies in applying the rare ability to pick up a phone, penetrate a source and deliver the talented person where they are needed.

Another positive fact is that many (over 4 out of 5) professionals are open to a better opportunity.

Finally, a statistic that eludes many employers is that 97+% of professionals are working (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2015). This makes it pretty tough for many employers to reach the talent pool but it is not a barrier to skilled direct recruiters.

The Bad:

Many HR folks and Hiring Decision-Makers have had limited experience over the last 5-8 years in competitively acquiring talented people.

This is further compounded by a loyalty to electronic (PC/Internet) talent acquisition programs and processes.

It is difficult to change a practice when it once worked well.

This now, ineffective practice of recruiting critical talent has had equally disappointing failures for both HR and third-party recruiters.

Most hiring managers report that they are now operating at higher levels of responsibility with fewer staff.

This often leaves managers frustrated and concerned about talent retention.

When trying to fill a new or existing opportunity, it has become commonplace for employers to see these positions remain unfilled for historically long times.

Product development and delivery, cost improvements, increased output and sales suffer when the people required to achieve these goals and initiatives are at work, but somewhere else.

The Unknown:

As recruiters we all face unique challenges.

Many positions for which we recruit are more complex demanding a surgically accurate process that brings in the candidate that fits in all dimensions.

The busy and employed candidate pool is working extended hours, raising larger families and often lacks the time to make a priority out of maintaining a current "Internet presence".

This common reality makes it more difficult to 'Find" candidates on the Net.

The great unknown here is how to find, recruit and place all the candidates many are failing to identify.

I have spent many hours working closely with recruiters. Many feel stuck at an undesirable level of results. Today's challenges faced by us as recruiters are most effectively overcome by zeroing in on the individual's practices that are lacking, the skills that may have fallen aside for "E"Cruiting and the seeming disappearance of the "pool". Others relate to me their difficulties in selling the new group of hiring managers. The list of specific needs is almost as long as the list of folks who need specific training.

The very worst unknown is not knowing what is wrong and how to take your practices to the next level demanded by the real conditions present today. This is not a challenge that will be overcome by an improved economy. Patience with minimal results is never a solution. Making your best possible effort to apply what isn't working is not a means to success, just anxiety and frustration.

This trainer and practitioner has monitored the headcount of our industry for decades. Never before now have so many recruiters left our industry. Conservative estimates based upon my research and feedback from many reputable sources indicates that 7 out of 10 recruiters in our industry left us since 2009. One can always fall back on the reason for this attrition as a poor economy. The truth is that most simply could not recruit the people they had an opportunity to place. Another condition that caused recruiting to become a challenge to new school recruiters (and some veteran recruiters) is that over half of the candidate pool has left for retirement, self employment and second careers.

I have re-dedicated my efforts and goals in recruiter development to two newly created approaches:

First, one-on-one training and coaching. This allows me and my student the unique opportunity to sort out the good from the bad practices and then move forward quickly to reveal the unknown techniques and best practices demanded by today's challenges.

Second, I am now engaging with groups of no more than three people to work on rehabilitating the practices and skills needed. In this program, group dialog and training can focus on common challenges while allowing for individual needs. Both are primarily facilitated by live, interactive training via GoToMeeting allowing full discussions and webcam options.

In very personal and precisely targeted coaching I am able to convert struggling recruiters into successful professionals ready to take advantage of the very same conditions causing so much dismay among our peers.

There has never been a time, in my three decades of active recruiting when the stars are so perfectly lined up in our favor. A well-trained and mentored recruiter will thrive in these conditions. Fact is, these conditions are not likely to change through this current decade. Join me and let me take you where you deserve and want to be, running out of deposit slips!

Check out the options and let me know what you need. I'll take you where you belong. Look below and see details presented there as well as real references from our peers on the site.

Just so you know, I am a full desk practicing recruiter and have been for over thirty years. I teach, train and share works best, right now and for the rest of this decade.

Work it all out with me so you can love recruiting as you should.Doug Beabout, CPC, CSPPresident of The Douglas Howard Group850.520.0150 (O)

Trainer@RecruiterElearning.com

Targeted and Personal Coaching

Conducted in an aggressive program to identify the strengths, Areas for improvement and personal barriers to change and success. Live, one-on-one with Doug Beabout, this coaching program will transform you into the recruiter you choose to be. All coaching is conducted with the highest level of confidentiality and protection of your proprietary information.

Calls are both scheduled and on-demand for real time situational guidance

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We are here for you. Do call us with any questions or specific needs. No recruiter is a clone. we are all individuals with specific requirements and challenges. Doug has developed thousands of successful recruiters across a myriad of industry and discipline niches.